The Irish standard., 1887-04-30
the STATE the COUNTRY.
hUpited Ireland" Tells Plain, Unvar-
nishea Tale, Thai May be Ac-
cepted as Reliable.
" THE CIVIL WAR IN MAYO >
Is Brought to an End by One Prisoner
Being Convicted and Sentenced to
Three Months Imprisonment.

Calm as the rocks v1l which the wild
waves are breaking, disciplined as q
great army on the battlefield, ready and
resolute, fearless anu crimeless-tha is
the state Of the country. They used to
be very fond Of this heading in Conserva-
tive newspapers Under twas found
always some excited !larangue OF par
tisan judge or some outrage returns as
long and as delusive as the endless
strings Of bogus sausages which the
clown draws from his pocket, in the
pantomine. Beyond the vaguest gener-
alitiea, the Conservatives are somewhat
sensitive at present about abiding to
the state Of the country. They tell US
that it is i'll an exceedingly dangerous
condition aud they are right In its
rssolute oalrn-a calm not to be dis
turbed by threats Or maddened by bru
tality, there indeed is deadly danger
to falsehood, plunder, and oppression.
Anything but that, they cry iii terror.
The old alternatives of craven servility
Or blind desperation they understand,
and can cope with; but not this new
terrible defence. This calm, invulner-
able discipline which hems the people
round as with a wall OF brass. fraud
cannot scale it nor coercion break it.
1t offers no vantage point for attack,
The old fashioned excuses for a yigor-
GUS regime axe wanting now, You
cannot, it has been said, indict ma
ton. 10 punish a nation without in
dictment, without trial, without yer
dict-this seemsto be the present policy
of the Tories. 1t is weak to say no case
is made for coercion. The argument
against coercion is established on evi-
dence that is Irresistible. The witness
ss for the Government break the Gov
eminent case to pieces. Whenever Ire
land is put in the dock the Irish judges
are always the first witnesses called for
the prosecution. They are willing wit
nesses enough. in all conscience, never
oveI scrupulous about the moderation
Of thelr language or the accuracy Of
their evidence. Now, with the utmost
str:ining Of their judicial conscience,
they cannot make case on which the
great jury OF public opinion dare be
asked to return an honest verdict. They
did their best, but the facts were too
hard for them. It was pitiful to note
at the assiZes how the blank calendar
was slurrea over in shamefaced silence
by the constitutional judge; how a riot
or an illegal assembly was made the
subject of an excited Grafton and mag
ni6ed into civil war. The judges who
were unfortunate enough to be do
mated with white gloves assured them
with the same cheerful grace with
which {; confirmed criminal is decor
ated with handouts. Judges, Grown
Prosecutors and County-Inspectors
combined in the attempt to make a case
for coercion, and the result was mis-
erable tiasco. It would read like a les
son in geography to reclte the counties
in Ireland in which the judges are re-
luctantly compelled to offer their mel
ancholy congratulations to the melan-
choly Grand Juries on the absolutely
peaceful condition of their counties
We give elsewhere a rough-and-ready
analysis OF these utterances, and at
tempt TO supply the statistics OF crime,
Or rather, Of crinelessness, in Ireland
which the Coercion Government so
pectinaciously, and, we must add, so
judlciously refuses. There are but six
assiZe centels in ireland outside the
law abiding North in which even the
most rabid judicial partisan could find
material for the customary blood-and
thunder orations. Judge Q Brien in
Kerry and Glare, and Judge johnson
in Limerick and Cork, Judge Lawson
in Mayo, ond Judge Murphy in Galway
were the six notable exceptions. In
each Of those cases, it is to be observed
the harangue was based not on the
criminal business Of the assizes, but on
the secret and irresponsible returns OF
the Grown officials. "The calendar,
gentleman, is very Light so runs the
customary formula, There are but
few cases, none OF any Importance to
go before you, but unfortunately the cal
endar affords no indication at all of the
condition Of the county, Then the re-
turns of the impartial and intelligent
police officers are lugged out aud made
the text for ]urid harangues. just
fancy it. an entire district is indicted
and condemned on the hearsay evidence
OF policeman, by judge blindly lg-
norant Of it's condition. This is the
case, and the best case that the Chief
Secretary can make for coercion. He
does not attempt to press it further.
Six Assize districts out Of about forty
taking counties and cities together